| Brightpoint Community College | |
| Former Name: | John Tyler Community College (1967–2022) |
| Motto: | Deeds Not Words |
| Type: | Public community college |
| Parent: | Virginia Community College System |
| Accreditation: | SACS |
| Academic Affiliation: | SCHEV |
| Endowment: | $3.8 million (2019)[1] |
| President: | William C. Fiege |
| Students: | 13,980 (2013–2014) |
| City: | Chester |
| State: | Virginia |
| Country: | United States |
| Campus: | Suburban |
| Free Label: | Other campuses |
| Free: | Midlothian, Virginia |
| Sports Nickname: | Trailblazers |
| Colors: | Burgundy and gold[2] |
Brightpoint Community College, formerly John Tyler Community College, is a public community college in Chester, Virginia, United States.
The college opened in 1967 and was named after John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States and a Virginian. In July 2021, the Virginia State Board of Community Colleges renamed local institutions formerly named for enslavers or segregationists.[3] The board allowed the college to rename itself Brightpoint Community College. Instead of venerating Tyler, an enslaver and Confederate, the name "celebrates the heart and energy of [the] institution".[4] [5] Additionally, names were redesignated for campus buildings and streets, including Bird Hall and Godwin Hall, both of which are named after Virginia politicians who supported racial segregation.[6]
The college is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and offers 17 associate degree programs, eight certificate programs, and 36 career studies certificate programs. In addition, the college has transfer degree programs that transfer into bachelor's degree programs that are mainly first- and second-year-student level classes.[7] During the 2010–2011 academic year, the college served more than 14,500 students. The institution also serves 15,000 non-credit students and more than 1,000 companies and government agencies annually through the Community College Workforce Alliance. John Tyler is the first college in the Virginia Community College System to be recognized for its sustainability efforts. In July 2010, it received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification for its Midlothian Campus Science Building.
The Community College has two campuses – one in Chester, Virginia, and one in Midlothian, Virginia. The college's Nursing Education Center is located on the Johnston-Willis Campus of CJW Medical Center.
It serves the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg and the counties of Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Prince George, Surry, and Sussex.